Another Universe and another and another
by roseannacharlotte
Summary: A spell gone wrong sends Arthur Pendragon through the multiverse learning truths about his own world along the way. Starts just before season two.


In the dead of night a shadowy figure crept into the chambers of the man who would one day be the once and future king.

"I'm sorry Emrys, but unless Arthur knows the truth, Albion is doomed to fail," a female voice whispered softly. A few words of the Old Religion and a flash of light later, the woman slipped back out of the room and out of Camelot.

When Arthur woke up he found George attending to him.

"Where's Merlin?" he murmured sleepily. The prince was too busy thinking about the Lady Morgana's rather pretty maidservant to listen to George's reply. Since Uther had apparently decided it was a good day for a family breakfast, Arthur left his chambers once dressed, George following the correct two paces behind.

When Arthur reached the small dining chamber where family breakfasts were held, he had a bit of a shock. Seated next to Uther was a blonde lady whom the prince had only ever seen a portrait of – his mother. Beside the queen sat a girl of about fifteen who could easily have been Arthur's sister. In confusion Arthur let his gaze travel around the other diners at the table. He saw Morgana; Morgause; that lady who had tried to kill him as he sought a cure for poison Merlin had taken; Gaius; a gentleman he'd never seen before; Merlin's mother and finally Merlin himself. Merlin and his mother were dressed in clothing finer than anything Arthur had ever seen them in.

"Arthur, are you alright?" Morgana asked. The prince continued to stare at the people at the table.

"Perhaps he has finally lost his wits?" Merlin suggested teasingly.

"Merlin," admonished the strange gentleman, "have a little more respect for the prince."

"Sorry father." Arthur's eyes nearly bugged out of his head at that.

"Come now Balinor, I have heard you speak to Uther in such a way many a time." This came from the mystery lady.

"Gaius, perhaps you ought to examine my son, he is behaving most oddly." The queen's voice washed over Arthur like a wave of calm. Gaius stood from his seat and started casting spells! Uther didn't react to this blatant use of magic other than to ask if Gaius had found anything.

"I think there's an enchantment of some kind at work here. Merlin may be of more help than I can be."

Arthur was rather sceptical. How could Merlin help? Merlin put down half a sausage with a sigh, stood up and came over. Then he started chanting in the old tongue. Arthur's eyes went wide. Merlin was a sorcerer. Yet Uther wasn't screaming for his arrest.

"Oh." Merlin was looking at Arthur in total astonishment. "It would appear that this Arthur is from another universe. I would guess that our Arthur is wherever this one is from. Come on prat, let's eat now." Thus saying Merlin led Arthur to the table and sat down. Arthur sat in the empty seat between Merlin and Uther and began to pile his plate with food as hunger suddenly overtook him.

When everyone had finished eating, Merlin leant back in his chair and asked the question everyone at the table wanted to know the answer to.

"So Arthur, what's your universe like?"

So Arthur told them. He told of the purge and his mother's death and everything that he knew about those sat around the table. When he had finished speaking everyone around the table looked slightly horrified.

"I'm your manservant in your universe," exclaimed Merlin with horror.

"That's what disturbs you most about his universe?" questioned Morgana.

"Well no not really. But I still find it horrible," retorted the young warlock. "It's bad enough being his cousin."

"You're my cousin?" Arthur asked Merlin, rather confused as to how this could be the case.

"Yes, father is your mother's older brother," Merlin informed the puzzled prince.

"So you're Merlin DuBois?" Arthur questioned.

"No I'm Merlin Ambrosius actually. It's a Dragonlord thing. Only the oldest male takes their Father's name; the other children, if there are any, take their Mother's name." Merlin gave the explanation with a half-shrug.

"Oh," was all the prince was able to respond.

"Arthur, perhaps you ought to go and have a rest. You've had rather a shocking morning," suggested the queen. Before Arthur could respond to his mother, the younger girl sat next to her spoke up.

"I still can't believe I don't exist in your world."

"I assume you're my sister," Arthur told her. "But I don't even know your name."

"I'm Elaine," the princess told her brother's counterpart.

Before Arthur could attempt to formulate a response to this, a knock sounded at the door. Uther's manservant opened the door to reveal a druid stood on the other side.

Merlin stood up.

"Come on Arthur. You can come and see what I do in this world. And probably in yours too." So Arthur got up and followed Merlin and the Druid down to the stables, where grooms saddled up two horses. The druid's horse was outside the stable waiting for them.

The three men mounted their steeds and set off into the woods to the druid camp. The druids welcomed them cheerfully and offered the two visitors some refreshments. After Merlin and Arthur had finished eating the flat bread and the cheese the druids had given them, the elders came over. It seemed they had invited Merlin so that he could heal a woman that none of the druids were able to heal themselves. Arthur watched in awed astonishment as Merlin performed the spell to heal the dying woman.

Merlin and Arthur spent some time with the druids. Merlin had told the druids that Arthur was from another world and that in that world magic was considered evil. The druids had taken it upon themselves to teach Arthur everything they could about magic.

Eventually one of the elders, who had been introduced to Arthur as Isuldir, looked at the sky and declared that Merlin and Arthur ought to be returning to Camelot. The two men rode back in silence. Arthur had a lot on his mind.

"Wakey wakey sire," Merlin called out cheerfully as he pulled open the prince's curtains.

"Merlin, what are you doing? Where is George?" The prince's reply confused the manservant immensely.

"Why would George be here?" Merlin asked with curiosity.

"Come cousin, you know perfectly well George is my manservant," responded the prince.

"Did you just call me cousin?" merlin questioned, now completely baffled by the conversation.

"Of course I did. Your father is my mother's brother. That makes us cousins. What is wrong with you this morning Merlin?"

"I've never met my father. I don't even know who he is," Merlin informed the prince. Arthur sat up at this and looked hard at Merlin.

"What are you wearing?" the prince eventually asked.

"The same clothes I wear every day," retorted Merlin, who was beginning to wonder if this was a prank.

"This is not possible," stated the prince firmly. "I think we should go speak with Gaius."

Merlin agreed to this and the two young men left the prince's chambers and walked along the passages to the physicians.

"Something's wrong with Merlin," the prince stated at the same time as Merlin told Gaius,

"Something's wrong with Arthur."

The physician looked at the two young men and seeing nothing visibly wrong with either spoke first to the prince.

"What seems to be wrong sire?" It was merlin who replied.

"Arthur thinks George is his manservant and that I'm his cousin." Shock crossed the physician's face.

"You are his cousin," was the response.

"Gaius, you know who my father is," realised Merlin.

"You are the son of Dragonlord Balinor Ambrosius," stated Arthur. Gaius raised his eyebrow.

"How could you possibly know that? Balinor had to leave Camelot when you were a year old Arthur."

"I think I might be from another universe," stated the prince.

"Another universe?" questioned Merlin.

"Yes. According to the Merlin in my universe, every time someone makes a decision, the universe splits into two. One universe where the choice was made one way and one where it was made another."

Merlin sat down at the table. Arthur and Gaius joined the warlock and Arthur told the other two about the universe he was from. Merlin and Gaius explained how things in their universe were different before the two young men returned to the prince's chambers to prepare for the day.


End file.
